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George McKenzie

1827 - 1897

Established 1850

George McKenzie was born in Coalton of Balgonie, Fife on 7 July 1827.  He trained as a house decorator, carver and gilder

He exhibited a case of photographic portraits (in which exhibition?) in 1852, and established photographic businesses in Paisley which he ran for about 45 years from around 1850, except for a brief period, 1877-81, when he was based in Edinburgh.  He retired in May 1895 and died on 5 March 1897.

[With acknowledgement to Richard Torrance for the information above, contained in his booklet 'Photographers in Western Scotland to 1914'.]

Cartes de Visite

On a cartes de visite (dated March 1881 in ink) he advertised:

G McKenzie

Willowbrae House

Piershill

Edinburgh

&

5 Gilmour St

Paisley

ESTABLISHED 1850

I have also seen another of George McKenzie's cartes de visite on which he gave addresses of 16 High Street Edinburgh and Willowbrae House, Piershill, Edinburgh.

Cabinet Print

Cabinet Print by George Mckenzie  -  John Baillie, Baker, Portobello ©

Here is an attractive cabinet print showing a horse and cart belonging to John Baillie, Baker, Portobello. 

This was presumably photographed during the period 1877-81 when G McKenzie was based in Edinburgh.

 

Question 1

Edinburgh

1.  When did George McKenzie work at his two Edinburgh addresses? 

I can find no reference to him in the trade directories, but he did appear, together with other photographers named McKenzie in the 1881 census (below).

Answer 1

1.  George McKenzie was probably based at his Willowbrae House, 1878-81.  These are the years listed in Richard Torrance's book for George McKenzie's Willowbank studio, Edinburgh.  [Willowbrae is Scottish equivalent of Willowbank.]

With acknowledgement to Richard Torrance for the information above, contained in his booklet 'Photographers in Western Scotland to 1914'.


I have found nothing more about George MacKenzie's High Street studio.  Was this High Street Edinburgh or High Street Portobello? If it was the latter, the studio may have opened for only a few months during the summer season(s).

 

Question 2

Paisley

2.  GM McKenzie also had a studio in Paisley.  When did he work there?

Answer

2. I have received the following message from New Zealand:

"We have a carte-de-visite portrait inscribed "G McKenzie, photographic artist, 16 High Street, Paisley. 

This is a portrait of James McGregor (1829-1894) Presbyterian minister and theologian, who emigrated to New Zealand in 1882.  The photograph is dated to 1862."

John Sullivan, Curator, Photographic Archive, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington 6001 New Zealand

The message above is helpful in that it provides an early address for George McKenzie - an address not listed in Richard Torrance's booklet 'Photographers in Western Scotland to 1914'.

1850-67

Paisley

1867-77

5, Gilmour Street, Paisley

1882-97

5, Gilmour Street, Paisley

 

 

McKenzie Family

1881 Census

George McKenzie was listed in the 1881 census as:

Photographic Artist:  aged 54

Born:  Caltoun of Balgonie, Fife

Resident:  Willowbrae House, Duddingston, Edinburgh

Children

1.  Charles:

2.  Matthew:

3.  Alfred:     aged 17    (born:  Paisley, Renfrewshire)

4.  Norman:  aged 15    (born:  Langbank, Renfrewshire)

5.  Homer:    aged 13    (born:  Langbank, Renfrewshire)

6.  Harold:    aged 10    (born:  Langbank, Renfrewshire)

Benjamin McKenzie was listed in the 1881 census as:

Photographer's Assistant:  aged 44

Born:  Latheron, Caithness

Resident:  58, Cumberland Street, Edinburgh

Wife:  Mary

Children

1.  CM [daughter]:  aged 15  (born:  Edinburgh)

2.  George:             aged 10  (born:  Edinburgh)

3.  Robert:              aged 8    (born:  Edinburgh)

4.  Benjamin:         aged 6    (born:  Edinburgh)

5.  Thomas:            aged 2    (born:  Edinburgh)

Charles McKenzie was listed in the 1881 census as:

Photographic Artist:  aged 25

Born:  Paisley, Renfrewshire

Son of George McKenzie: resident with his parents

Matthew McKenzie was listed in the 1881 census as:

Photographic Artist:  aged 19

Born:  Paisley, Renfrewshire

Son of George McKenzie: resident with his parents

[DR Torrance]

 

George McKenzie (Sen + Jun)

Biographies

Thank you to Ron Cosens, author of the Carte de Visite web site, for telling me about new pages that he recently added to his site.

Ron wrote:

"I have now published biographies of:

George MacKenzie Senior.

George McKenzie Junior.

Comments are always welcome."

Studios

George McKenzie Senior (1827-1897) was a photographic studio in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland in 1861.  He worked for a brief spell as a photographer in Edinburgh around 1880.

George McKenzie Senior (1853-1894) worked in his father's photographic studio in Paisley, later opening his own studio in Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire, Scotland

 

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